Their names ought to be carved on the psyche of every New Zealander, a permanent and lasting reminder of the appalling record of child abuse in New Zealand: Nia Glassie, the Kahui twins, Lillybing, James Whakaruru.
They are a jolting rejoinder to the comforting old myth that this is "a wonderful place to bring up children".
And while it is possible to make the case that these children were the victims of an isolated dysfunctional segment of society, two United Nations reports released simultaneously last week allow little scope for such complacency.
The reality is that, one way or another, we are killing our children in their hundreds; or otherwise mistreating them, a conclusion underscored by a further international study showing New Zealand to be the second worst among 37 countries for bullying at school.
The first, a World Health Organisation study, shows that two Kiwi children die every week as a result of accidents.
The survey showed that, worldwide, 950,000 children and young persons die annually from unintentional injuries - road crashes, drownings, burns, falls and poisoning accounting for up to 90% of the deaths.
New Zealand fares poorly in the study and, according to Safekids New Zealand, if we had managed to reduce child injuries to Sweden's rate during a selected five-year period, 324 children would still be alive.
According to Otago University researcher Jean Simpson, of the Injury Prevention Research Unit, "compared with other wealthy nations our statistics are appalling".
These results underline the verdict of the 2007 Unicef Innocenti Report Card which ranked New Zealand last among OECD countries in preventing child injury-related deaths.
Ms Simpson pointed out "over half" the injuries of under-5s happen at home, which raises interesting questions in relation to the second report.
Another United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) survey of how 25 wealthy countries treated young people showed that while New Zealand scored better overall than other English-speaking countries, we have a long way to go to match the best.
Chief among the survey's finding were that this country has an appalling child poverty rate, spends too little on early childhood services, and lags behind other developed nations in parental leave provisions.
Both reports underscore an essential truth in relation to childcare in New Zealand: must do better.
But wrestling with the Unicef report raises a set of complex sociological and economic questions.
Auckland-based paediatrician and former Children's Commissioner Ian Hassall has said in response to the report that a global "massive uncontrolled experiment" in childcare had transferred the care of 3-to-5-year-olds to non-family members in increasing amounts.
More so than ever in our history, young children are being essentially raised outside the home - with scarcely a thought for the possible consequences.
And while in-depth research is required to determine exactly what those consequences, if any, might be, there is no doubt that a combination of social and economic pressures have given rise to the situation.
The common modern arrangment of two working parents can be partly ascribed to economics: the requirement of families to raise their income levels so as to attain the desired level of "home comforts" - flat-screen TVs, dining out, overseas holidays, new cars, educational extras for children - and so on.
It can also be laid partly at the door of policies designed by central government and aimed at raising the productivity of the overall workforce - an impetus that pointedly ignores motherhood as an "economic activity".
But it also arises out of the legacy of an evolution of gender politics to the point where it is today expected that mothers can and will have their own independent careers.
Necessarily, this will require young children to be placed in childcare facilities, a need emphasised by New Zealand's poor provisions for paid parental leave - 14 weeks compared with, for instance, Scotland's one-year paid leave and Norway's more than two.
Drawing a causal link between the two reports, and adding this country's terrible record of child abuse and infant mortality into the mix, may be problematic, but it is imperative that appropriate agencies study the facts and provide practical initiatives to address them.
Some encouragement should be drawn from the urgency with which the new Government appears to be addressing the issues.
The Sentencing (Offences Against Children) Amendment Bill passed all its stages unanimously on Saturday, encouraging tougher sentences for perpetrators of violence against children.
Justice Minister Simon Power indicated this was just the first step: "Other criminal justice legislation and initiatives in other portfolios will further address the mistreatment of children and the disfunction of families," he said.
But legislation can only go so far, and the onus of addressing the terrible record does not stop with the politicians - it extends throughout society.
Parents, adult relatives and friends must take note, take responsibility, and take greater care of society's most precious legacy: our children.
